A PAIR OF FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN OWLS

Jiajing period circa 1800 AD
Chinese Export

Both birds are perched on high green and black enamelled pierced rockwork bases. They stare with wide open eyes - their faces yellow, and chests washed in pink-white enamel. Their heads, wings and fanning tail feathers are decorated in a vibrant green - with further plumage on the wings in yellow, blue and rose enamel tones.

This model is clearly based on a European original and - as Howard and Ayers point out - the closest seems to be a scop owl (made at Longton Hall in England circa 1755) with the characteristic ear tufts and the prominently delineated chests.

The owls are a rare model with less than a handful of known examples. A pair is illustrated in 'China for the West' by Howard and Ayers, from the Mottahedeh Collection; these are dated 1760-1780 but we feel that a date of circa 1800 is more accurate with this enamel palette.


Height: 10 ¼" / 26cm